Cream Of Celeriac Soup With Crispy Pancetta And Croûtons

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 ounces butter
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 ounces streaky bacon, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 leek, only, finely diced
• 1 stick celery, finely diced
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
• 1 celeriac, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 liter chicken stock
• 7 fluid ounces double cream
• salt and pepper
• 4 slices pancetta
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 ounces celeriac, peeled and finely julienned
• bread cubes
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons double cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves

Recipe

• 1 for the soup.
• 2 heat a wide, deep sauté pan or large saucepan until medium hot,.
• 3 add 25g/1oz of the butter, the onion and bacon and fry for a couple of minutes to just soften.
• 4 add the garlic, leek, celery and thyme sprigs and fry for another minute; then add the chopped celeriac.
• 5 pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the celeriac is just tender.
• 6 place into a food blender, in batches if necessary, and blend to a fine purée. return to the heat in a clean pan.
• 7 add the cream and whisk in the remaining 50g/2oz of butter. season with salt and pepper.
• 8 for the garnish.
• 9 preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6.
• 10 place the pancetta onto a flat baking tray and cover with a second tray of the same size.
• 11 place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes until browned and cooked through.
• 12 remove from the oven and cool for five minutes until crispy.
• 13 heat a frying pan until hot, add half of the butter and the olive oil and heat until foaming.
• 14 add the celeriac and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, or until just softened, then remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
• 15 add the rest of the butter and the bread to the pan and cook until golden-brown and crispy, tossing to cook on each side.
• 16 drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• 17 to serve.
• 18 pile the julienned celeriac into the centre of each of four soup plates.
• 19 ladle the soup around.
• 20 crumble the crispy bacon over the top and then scatter over the croutons.
• 21 finish with swirls of extra virgin olive oil and cream, and top with coriander cress.